Introduction
The A4 Enablement Innovate Hackathon 2024 marked the first of many Capgemini Microsoft hackathons, setting a new benchmark as the largest virtual private hackathon in the world. Held from April 22 to May 6, this event brought together 2498 registered hackers from 39 countries. Organized by Onova in partnership with Capgemini, Microsoft, and GitHub, this hackathon exemplifies our commitment to driving technological innovation and upskilling employees on a global scale.
Later this year Capgemini also won the Microsoft Partner of the Year Award.
Objectives
The primary goals for this year’s hackathon were twofold: to upskill Capgemini employees onto Microsoft’s Azure AI model along with GitHub Action & Copilot tooling, and to accelerate the creation of client-ready solutions that can be presented to customers. By achieving these objectives, we helped drive Capgemini’s innovation agenda and increase sales velocity, ensuring that our teams are equipped with the latest skills and knowledge in AI technologies.
Participation and Team Structure
The hackathon saw an impressive turnout, with 2498 participants forming 352 teams. These teams were guided by 65 mentors and judges, including experts from Microsoft, GitHub, and Capgemini. From 352 teams, 104 potential client solutions were created, showcasing the high level of engagement and dedication from all teams involved.
Mentorship and Support
Throughout the hackathon, participants had access to a wealth of resources and support. This included office hours and workshops with Microsoft and GitHub experts. There were five dedicated workshops and mentor check-in sessions. The workshops covered a range of topics, including Ideation Methodologies, Azure AI, GitHub Actions & Copilot, UI/UX fundamentals, and pitching techniques, ensuring participants were well-prepared to tackle their projects.
Outcomes and Impact
The hackathon concluded with remarkable client-ready solutions. The winning projects were:
- First Place: CapCaptain - An AI-powered chatbot designed to simulate and process human conversations with customers based on client knowledge databases.
- Second Place: Scrumdiddlyumptious - A retail insights solution using GenAI models to provide optimal product positioning guidance for sales, sustainability, and operations.
- Third Place: GhostAI - A real-time card recommendation system integrated with contactless payment infrastructures.
Participants rated their overall experience highly, with an average score of 4.4 out of 5, and an 8.8 out of 10 likelihood to participate again. This feedback highlights the hackathon’s success in providing a valuable and enjoyable experience.
Innovations and Enhancements
This year’s hackathon introduced several innovations and enhancements. A tailored curriculum focused on Azure AI and GitHub tools ensured that participants were not only upskilled but also capable of developing productive, client-ready solutions. Despite having higher standards and expectations, the hackathon achieved higher-than-average submission rates compared to similar events. Additionally, improvements to the Earth platform, including new team-building notification features, streamlined the overall experience.
Additionally, this was the biggest hackathon we organized. A special recruiting method was used within the organization to spark competition between departments, resulting in more trainings and higher quality solutions.
Future Directions
Looking ahead, this is only the beginning of many more collaborations with Microsoft and GitHub for future hackathons and initiatives. Our focus remains on ensuring that hackathon projects are not only innovative but also immediately applicable in real-world scenarios. By maintaining this emphasis, we can drive greater adoption of AI technologies and foster a culture of innovation across organizations.
Conclusion
The A4 Enablement Innovate Hackathon 2024 was a resounding success, thanks to the commitment and enthusiasm of all participants, mentors, judges, and organizers. It was a testament to what can be achieved when we come together to explore new technologies and push the boundaries of what’s possible. As we move forward, we remain dedicated to leveraging the transformative power of AI to shape the future of business and society.
In addition to our collaboration with Microsoft and GitHub, we have also explored innovative use cases with other industry leaders. For example, you can read about our experience building the first enterprise use cases on Google's Gemini model in this blog post.